Michaił Kukuszkin

[Ranger]

MIKHAIL KUKUSKHIN



Data urodzenia: 26.12.1987
Miejsce urodzenia: Volgograd, Rosja
Narodowość: Kazachstan
Miejsce zamieszkania: Astana
Wzrost: 183 cm
Masa ciała: 72 kg
Gra: praworęczna, oburęczny backhand
Status profesjonalny: od 2006
Trener: Anastasia Ulikhina

Oficjalna strona ATP: http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Play ... shkin.aspx

[Ranger]

Osiągnięcia:


Tytuły w singlu: 1

2010: (1) Sankt Petersburg

Puchar Davisa: 10 zwycięstw, 4 porażki

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 58 (01.11.2010)

Najlepsze występy w Wielkim Szlemie:

Australia Open: 1R (2011)
Roland Garros: 2R (2011)
Wimbledon: 1R (2011)
Us Open: 1R (2010)

Stosunek meczów wygranych do przegranych: 34-36 (22.08.2011)

Łączna suma zarobionych pieniędzy na kortach: $809,814 (22.08.2011)

Aktualny Ranking: 61 (22.08.2011)

Inne: Zwycięzca 7 turniejów z serii challenger

[Ranger]

Album Pucharów:


#1): Sankt Petersburg 2010

R32 Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6/7(3), 6/1, 6/0
R16 Teymuraz Gabashvili (GRU) 6/3, 6/4
Q Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 7/5, 3/6, 6/4
S Illya Marchenko (UKR) 6/3, 6/4
F Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 6/3, 7/6(2)

[Ranger]

First-Time ATP World Tour Winner Spotlight Mikhail Kukushkin



World No. 88 Mikhail Kukushkin became the fifth first-time winner on the ATP World Tour this season after upsetting top-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6(2) Sunday in the final of the St. Petersburg Open.

ATPWorldTour.com caught up with Kukushkin after his maiden title.

How does it feel to win your first career ATP World Tour title?
For me it’s just incredible, this feeling, because I never think that I can win a tournament right now because I was ranked around 90. When I came here I didn’t think I can even play quarter-finals, semis here. I was just concentrating on every match. When I came here in the final, I know that I play against

Misha Youzhny. Of course I believe in myself, but I didn’t think that I can win this title. I think right now I don’t understand what happened today. I’m in shock because I didn’t think it’s going to happen with me, and I think I need some time to understand what happens.

How did you approach going into your first final against Youzhny, knowing that you played him in the semi-finals of Moscow last year.
This was the biggest problem for me because the last match for us Youzhny won very easy. His game for me is very tough because he plays a lot of slice, he plays a smart game, and he knows how to play against me. I was thinking that I have to play even more than 100 per cent to win this match. I was lucky that he was sick before the tournament and before he played such tough matches, so today he was very tired and I think this was the deciding point of this win because otherwise Youzhny is such a great player and to play against him when he plays his best is so tough. I think I was a little bit lucky.

Does it make it extra special that you beat a Top 10 player for the first time and in his country?
I didn’t think that he is Top 10 and I’m playing against a Top 10 player. I just know that he’s one of the best players in the world. Of course he played at home and almost everyone in the crowd was supporting him, so of course this is giving me a lot of problems, but I’m very happy with my game and I played till the last point. Also for me it’s the first win against a Top 10 player, and I’m so happy with that.

Was there a part of your game you were most pleased with that enabled you to win the title?
I think this is the stability of my game because from the first match till the last point of the tournament I was playing concentrated on each point. I don’t think about the next game, to win the final, to be in the final. I’m also so happy that I was fighting for every ball. I think this is the part of the game that helped me so much to win because I was fighting for every ball on this tournament.

Now that you have won your first ATP World Tour title, what other goals do you have?
I think I will be around 60 – No. 58 – in the rankings. My next goal will be to get in the Top 50, to play good on this level, and I will try to play good on the bigger tournaments because I never played good on the Grand Slams, the Masters [1000s]. Of course I will try to improve my game, improve my ranking and improve my results.

In September, you helped your country qualify for the World Group in Davis Cup for the first time by beating Switzerland. Talk about what that means for your country’s tennis.
For Kazakhstan it means so much because this tie against Switzerland was the first in history for Kazakhstan in the play-offs, so of course everyone was so happy with that. Everyone supports us there. But I think nobody in the world think that we can beat Switzerland even without Federer. To beat them with the score 5-love, for Kazakhstan team it’s so much because the national federation of tennis there supports tennis so much. They try to help us or the young guys, just everyone who wants to play tennis, they help us so much. Like me, the other guys on the team, the girls, I think this is a big point, the big step for the Kazakhstan team. I hope that tennis in Kazakhstan can be even on a better level than now.

Andrey Golubev became the first player from Kazakhstan to win an ATP World Tour title in July, and now you’re the second player to do so. What are your thoughts on the state of tennis in your country.
Of course Andrey Golubev won the first title for Kazakhstan, and here he played in the St. Petersburg final before. Of course when I see his results I understand that I can also play good as him. Just for Kazakhstan this means so much that two players won titles this year. This results show that now in Kazakhstan the tennis is really on a good level, and everyone from us will hope that we can play even better.

What do you consider the strength or best part of your game, and what is your favourite surface?
My favourite surface is hard court, and I think the best part of my game is the stability of the game – just all ground strokes, I don’t have one of the biggest shot in my tennis. The best part is just the stability of my game.

What are your hobbies or interests away from tennis?
I really don’t have so many hobbies or interests away from the tennis because my life now is tennis, so I don’t have so much time. When I’m not playing I just try to relax and to do something, like to watch some movies; to speak with my friends, family; to read some books. I just stay away from the tennis because it’s so tough always to be inside this game. I just try to relax, to relax my mind, and just to do these things I like.

Is there anyone in your life who has been an influence in your career to help you get where you are today?
Of course, there are so many people who helped me. This is of course my first coach, my father, who said that I could play good. He coached me for 12 years, and he helped me so much with it. Of course, my girlfriend, who coached me for more than one year. After we were together one year, I made the jump in ranking, around 100 position, so I think this is good that we were together. She always tries to help me so much as she can in all parts of my life – with the tennis, with something else, she’s doing everything that can help me for my life.

Źródło: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... shkin.aspx

[Ranger]

Kukushkin Upsets Youzhny To Win Maiden Title



World No. 88 Mikhail Kukushkin won his maiden ATP World Tour title in his 19th main draw tour-level event Sunday as he held his nerve to defeat top seed and home favourite Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6(2) in the final of the St. Petersburg Open.

The Kazakhstani became the fifth first-time winner on the ATP World Tour this season, and the second in as many weeks after Serbian Viktor Troicki’s victory in Moscow last week. He is the second player from Kazakhstan to win an ATP World Tour title, following Andrey Golubev’s triumph in Hamburg in July.

"For me it’s just incredible, this feeling, because I never think that I can win a tournament right now because I was ranking around 90," said Kukushkin. "When I came here I didn’t think I can even play quarter-finals, semis here. I was just concentrating on every match.

"When I came here in the final, I know that I play against Misha Youzhny. Of course I believe in myself, but I didn’t think that I can win this title. I think right now I don’t understand what happened today. I’m in shock because I didn’t think that it’s going to happen with me, and I think I need some time to understand what happened."

Runner-up Youzhny had been hoping to turn up the heat on his London rivals by winning his third ATP World Tour title of the season. The Russian, who began the week at No. 10 in the year-to-date ATP Rankings, is bidding to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour finals for the first time.

The 22-year-old Kukushkin showed few signs of nerves in his first ATP World Tour final, racing to a one-set lead with service breaks in the fifth and ninth games. He then fought back from a break down twice in the second set before clinching victory in the tie-break after two hours and 26 minutes.

"He played at home and almost everyone in the crowd was supporting him, so of course this is giving me a lot of problems, but I’m very happy with my game and I played till the last point," said Kukushkin. "Also for me it’s the first win against a Top 10 player, and I’m so happy with that."

Kukushkin’s previous best result on the ATP World Tour had been a semi-final showing as a qualifier in Moscow last year. This year’s Bangkok quarter-finalist improved to a 17-8 match record on the season and is projected to rise to a career-high No. 58 in the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings.

"My next goal will be to get in the Top 50, to play good on this level, and I will try to play good in the bigger tournaments because I never played good on the Grand Slams, the Masters [1000s]," said Kukushkin. "Of course I wil try to improve my game, improve my ranking and improve my results."

The 28-year-old Youzhny dropped to a 7-10 record in ATP World Tour finals, 2-3 this season. After runner-up finishes in Rotterdam (l. to Soderling) and Dubai (l. to Djokovic) in February, the Muscovite had won titles in Munich (d. Cilic) and Kuala Lumpur (d. Golubev). He had been hoping to regain the St. Petersburg Open title he had won in 2004 (d. Beck).

Źródło: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... Title.aspx

[Ranger]

2010 Newcomers Of The Year



There were signs of what was to come from Mikhail Kukushkin in 2009 when he reached the semi-finals as a qualifier at his favourite tournament, the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. The Kazakhstani then made his breakthrough on the ATP World Tour in 2010, compiling a 17-8 match record and rising to a career-high No. 58 in the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings. Kukushkin hit his stride in the second half of the season, winning back-to-back ATP Challenger Tour titles in Braunschweig and Penza and reaching the final in Istanbul to reach the Top 100. He then impressed in Davis Cup duty, defeating Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka and Marco Chiudinelli to help lift Kazakhstan into the 2011 World Group.

The 22 year old, who considers his stability on his ground strokes to be the best part of his game, crowned his breakthrough season by winning his maiden ATP World Tour title in St. Petersburg, where he defeated World No. 10 Mikhail Youzhny in the final. “My next goal will be to get in the Top 50, to play good on this level, and I will try to play good on the bigger tournaments because I never played good on the Grand Slams, the Masters [1000s],” Kukushkin told ATPWorldTour.com after his triumph in St. Petersburg. “Of course I will try to improve my game, improve my ranking and improve my results.”

Źródło: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... -Year.aspx

[Ranger]

Kukushkin vs. Youzhny ATP St. Petersburg 2010 Final

[Barty]

2011 w liczbach

Ranking: 91
Bilans meczów: 10-24
Tytuły: 0
Finały: 0
Zarobki: $391,101

[Ranger]

Australian Open 2012 - Życiowy wynik Mikhaila w Szlemie.

Reprezentant Kazachstanu Mikhail Kukushkin awansował do czwartej rundy Australian Open 2012! Kukushkin w drodze do najlepszej "16" turnieju odprawił Guillermo García-Lópeza, Viktora Troickiego i Gaela Monfilsa. W walce o ćwierćfinał Wielkiego Szlema Mikhail zmierzy się z Brytyjczykiem Andym Murrayem.

[Ranger]

AO 2012: Konferencja prasowa po porażce w 4 rundzie:

Spoiler:

A. Murray d. M. Kukushkin

6-1 6-1 1-0 ret.

Q. Was that an injury you had at the start of the match or something you did during the match?

MIKHAIL KUKUSHKIN: It was after my last match against Monfils. I mean, I played two matches five set. Yesterday I was just, I don't know, even not able to lift my leg. I mean, I have problem with the left hip.

Before the match I warming up, but I see I cannot play full today just because my left hip doesn't allow me to run, even to serve. I was only able to serve the second serve with the pain.

Unfortunately these last two rounds, it's cost me a lot. Today, unfortunately, I was not able to show anything, to play, to compete, especially on this level.

So, I don't know.



Q. Did you think about pulling out before the match?

MIKHAIL KUKUSHKIN: No. Always I try to play, I mean, till the end. I think it's only second time in my career that I retired during the match. So I always try to play till the end, you know, for the people who came to the stadium, you know, for everybody.

I mean, normally I have retire it even first set when I saw I cannot run, I cannot serve, I cannot compete against Andy. But I was just trying to stay in the match as long as possible. Already it was dangerous for my future, for the next few weeks, so I just was not able to continue.



Q. Is it embarrassing when you know you've got an injury? Obviously people on television wouldn't be aware. They can just see that you can't serve. Is that embarrassing when you're trapped in that situation?

MIKHAIL KUKUSHKIN: Yeah, it's tough, of course. A lot of people on the stadium, on the television, they watch this match. I mean, I always try to show my best. For me it's so sad that this match was not so entertainment. Probably it was not fun to watch, so I feel also so bad for that.

But unfortunately with that injury I was not able to do anything.



Q. When you decided to switch from representing Russia to Kazakhstan, can you explain what the situation was there? How did that come about?

MIKHAIL KUKUSHKIN: It was more than three years ago. It's already four years I play for Kazakhstan. At that time I was around 150 in the world. I was struggling. I mean, I was not in good shape in that moment, but I knew that I could play better, much better and I can get in the other level.

But I didn't have any opportunity for that. Unfortunately in Russia nobody was interesting in me. Nobody support me. Kazakhstan, more than three years ago, they came to me and they just provide me everything, like practice conditions, coaches. I don't know, I have so much support behind my back.

For all players, especially for me, it means a lot when you have such a strong Federation behind you and you know any moment you can call them and ask for, I don't know, Next week I want to practice in Spain, whatever, and they will just find you a place, pay for everything. They just do everything for you.

Especially I can also play Davis Cup. Already played few good matches. It's future experience for me. It's good that it's work out for me and for the country, so I like. I like it.



Q. Was it mainly the Federation or are their private interests in Kazakhstan who helped fund this, like corporate interests, very rich individuals?

MIKHAIL KUKUSHKIN: It's Federation. I mean, it's like four years ago it was become new Federation with new people there. With president of the Federation, the new people came there.

They start to build new project in Kazakhstan for tennis, especially not only for us, for the professional players, but especially for the juniors.

Last few years they built I don't know how many tennis centers in Kazakhstan. They do so many programs for the juniors. They invite so many coaches from Europe to come to Kazakhstan and teach young players.

I think it's great they do so many things to improve tennis in Kazakhstan.



Q. As part of the arrangement, do you live there?

MIKHAIL KUKUSHKIN: For the moment mostly I live in two cities, in Moscow and Astana, but it's only like no more than month per year.



Q. What do you think about the next round of Davis Cup with Spain?

MIKHAIL KUKUSHKIN: Even if they all don't play, it will be for sure tough match. They have so many good players, top players. Especially at home, they play on clay at home, it will be such a tough match for us.

But, anyway, we are looking forward for this match. Of course, we will do everything to try to beat them. It will be, of course, tough. We will try to win.

Źródło: http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/new ... 97413.html

[Ranger]

23.04.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 55

[Ranger]

30.04.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 54

[Ranger]

07.05.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 51

[Ranger]

11.06.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 49

[DUN I LOVE]

Niezłe wyniki poskutkowały awansem do Top-50. Brawo Michaił.

[Sempere]

Kukushkin Reflects On Making History At Australian Open

[Sempere]

2012 w liczbach

Ranking: 107
Bilans meczów: 12-15 (44,4 %)
Łączna liczba spotkań: 27
Tytuły: -
Finały: -
Zarobki: $333,009

[DUN I LOVE]

Po dłuższej przerwie Michaił przypomniał o sobie i zameldował się w 3. rundzie US Open 2013. Tam bardzo ładnie powalczył i dopiero po 4 setach wyrównanego boju musiał uznać wyższość Davida Ferrera.

[DUN I LOVE]

Finał w Moskwie.

Zwyżki formy ciąg dalszy. Kukuszkin zameldował się w swoim drugim finale ATP w karierze. Po sukcesie w Sankt Petersburgu, tym razem mało brakowało, by zawładnął Moskwą. Kazach przegrał ostatecznie zacięty pojedynek z Richardem Gasquetem. 1-1 w finałach ATP.

[Barty]

2013 w liczbach

Ranking: 67
Bilans meczów: 6-6
Tytuły: 0
Finały: 1 (Moskwa)
Zarobki: $276,434

CH: 3 tytuły, 2 finały;